Southern Illinois University
13-5
Illinois
7-8
Salukis nipped by Illini, 11-10
03/19/2022 | 12:10:00 | Baseball
Junior Tanner Lewis started on the bump first for the Salukis (13-5), as the Illini came swinging and collected six runs in two innings. The Fighting Illini's (7-8) Branden Comia and Cam McDonald hit double and single RBI's to put U of I on the board first. Right-hander Jordan Gould came into relieve mid-second inning as the Illini widened the gap with four more runs. Illinois' Cole Kirschsieper started and earned the win.
Illinois grew the lead with two solo home runs in the fourth and fifth innings before Southern Illinois hit the board themselves. In the bottom of the fifth, junior Grey Epps hit a double into left-center, advancing the previously walked Nathan Bandy to third. Junior Darren Taylor came in the game to pinch hit as he knocked a fastball down the left side to score Bandy.
SIU's tremendous comeback occurred in a stellar seven inning to put the Salukis back in the game. After the Illini wagered an 11-1 lead with three more in the top of seven, sophomore Joe Glassey took the mound for the Orange, four back-to-back Saluki singles sent Epps running home, with Taylor soon to follow after J.T. Weber was walked.
With no outs and two more runs for SIU, shortstop Kaeber Rog got a piece up the middle for a fielder's choice and racked in an RBI. Evan Martin came in to pinch hit and notched his 11th RBI of the season with a double into left field. Junior Nick Hagedorn cleared the bases on the 2-2 count for his fourth home run in five games into left field rallying up the score 11-8 and giving the Salukis a seven-run inning.
Closer Trey McDaniel was solid on the mound, collecting no more Illini hits and two strikeouts in the final two innings. The defense closed the gap for Saluki hitting as Weber and Rog singled to start the bottom of the ninth. A wild pitch by a Illinois' Ty Rybarczyk moved them closer to home as Bandy then singled deep into left field scoring both and producing a one-run game, 11-10. Southern did not suffice, as Epps marked the final out fouling out to first base.
The Salukis will take on Illinois for game two of the series tomorrow, Saturday March 20 with first pitch happening at 6pm at Itchy Jones Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kirschsieper,Cole (3-1)
L: Lewis, Tanner (2-1)
S: Rybarczyk,Ty (2)
Batting:
2B: Doligale,Danny 1 ; Comia,Branden 1 ; Janas,Justin 1 ; Harding,Brody 1
HR: McDonald,Cam 1 ; Hejza,Cal 1
RBI: Comia,Branden 2 ; Janas,Justin 2 ; Campbell,Jacob 2 ; McDonald,Cam 3 ; Hejza,Cal 1
SF: Janas,Justin 1 ; Campbell,Jacob 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Doligale,Danny 3 ; Comia,Branden 3 ; McDonald,Cam 1 ; Hampe,Ryan 1 ; Hejza,Cal 3
SB: Doligale,Danny 1 ; Comia,Branden 1
HBP: Doligale,Danny 1 ; Janas,Justin 2 ; Moerman,Ryan 2
Batting:
2B: Martin, Evan 1 ; Epps, Grey 1 ; Taylor, Darren 1
HR: Hagedorn, Nick 1
RBI: Boucher, Pier-Olivier 1 ; Weber, J.T. 1 ; Rog, Kaeber 1 ; Martin, Evan 1 ; Hagedorn, Nick 3 ; Bandy, Nathan 2 ; Taylor, Darren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Weber, J.T. 2 ; Rog, Kaeber 2 ; Martin, Evan 1 ; Hagedorn, Nick 1 ; Bandy, Nathan 1 ; Epps, Grey 1 ; Taylor, Darren 1 ; Rodriguez, Ryan 1
